


Baby Shark

by Melusine11



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben is in his late 30's and just verging into silver fox territory, Coffee date, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, I'm 99 percent sure this isn't how kindergarten works but today we're pretending!, Rey is in her 30's, Single Parent Rey, Teacher Ben, almost meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27373009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melusine11/pseuds/Melusine11
Summary: Ben Solo, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire can handle a lot. Fights over who is the leader in line for the day, crying over not getting the right color crayon they want, puke after gym time, but the one thing that consistently raises his blood pressure is one damnable song.He’s done his best to get Danny to stop, or at least contain it to home or outside playtime or anywhere that wasn’t within Ben’s hearing. Then he brought in a singing hand puppet for his turn at show and tell and all of the hard work went down the drain. So now Ben has to do something he hates. Have a parent come in for a meeting.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 177





	Baby Shark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [commandercrouton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandercrouton/gifts).



> Hi! I started this ages ago and finally finished it today because I feel like we could all use a little cute?
> 
>   
> 

Ben Solo, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire can handle a lot. Fights over who is the leader in line for the day, crying over not getting the right color crayon they want, puke after gym time, but the one thing that consistently raises his blood pressure is one damnable song. 

At first, it was fine, cute, he had sung it at camp when he was growing up. It persisted though, every year, but this year it was by far the worst. One of his students, in particular, loved the song, quietly signing verses of baby shark during art exercises, refusing to learn the songs for their holiday pageant, instead, singing loudly over their classmates about baby sharks.

He’s done his best to get Danny to stop, or at least contain it to home or outside playtime or anywhere that wasn’t within Ben’s hearing. Then he brought in a singing hand puppet for his turn at show and tell and all of the hard work went down the drain. So now Ben has to do something he hates. Have a parent come in for a meeting.

It doesn’t happen often, he usually just sees the parents at the normal parent-teacher night where they fawn over finger paint and macaroni projects. The night is mostly a blur of watery fruit punch and lemonade and imitation Oreos while he tries to say hello to everyone. He remembers Danny’s mother. She laughed at one of his jokes. And she was stunning, a revelation he tucked away and tried to forget, except now that’s all he can think about as he waits for her in his classroom filled with little desks with their little chairs flipped up on top of them.

He sits at his own desk, then stands up and paces, terrified that being behind his desk is too formal, then he sits again, before getting back up to double-check that he really had organized the arts and craft shelves. He takes off his glasses, polishes them just for good measure, runs his hands through his hair, frowning at the few grey streaks in his hair while inspecting his reflection in the mirror over the sink in the back of his room. _Stupid,_ he chastises himself because he knows she isn't going to look twice at him, and he asked her here to discuss her son, not ask her out. He strides back across his classroom and for one wild moment, he contemplates sorting the markers by color, but he’s rescued by a knock on his open classroom door.

“Mr. Solo?” She steps inside, eyes searching for him, and her expression brightens when she finds him. “I’m sorry I’m late, between work and my usual sitter canceling on my way home, and Danny, well, it’s been a bit of a day and I’m sure you don’t want to hear about it,” she says with a blush.

Ben glances down at his watch, she’s maybe two minutes late. “It’s not a problem, Ms. Niima.”

“Rey, please,” she says, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

“Rey, then,” he agrees. “Shall we sit?”

She sags into the chair he had placed in front of his desk, pulled over from their storytime corner, earlier in the evening. Ben takes his time sitting down. “He’s not attacking other students, is he? Because he never does, and I know everyone probably says this, but he does know better.”

“Oh!” Ben says, surprised, though perhaps he shouldn’t be as he had been less than clear when setting up this meeting. “No, nothing like that. I was honestly hoping you might be able to offer me a few tips.”

He watches her frown while sitting up straighter and he leans his arms against the surface of the desk. “It’s about Baby Shark,” he informs her solemnly and she stares at him for a beat before covering her mouth to hide a laugh.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she says, full bellies laughs turning into quiet giggles as she gathers her composure once more, quickly swiping a tear away from her eye. “I’ve been so nervous about this meeting, terrified that Danny was doing something terrible or on the road to suspension, but, wow. Not expecting that.”

“I’m sorry, I should have specified it wasn’t something sinister,” he says, quirking his lip that blooms into a smile when she chuckles again. 

“He has this toy,” she grins. “I got it for him the day we signed all of the paperwork last year to make it official.” Ben nods, feeling a smile creep its way onto his own face as she continues. “He likes sharks, loves them, and I don’t know a lot of songs? I know songs, but I grew up in the system too, so lullabies were few and far between, but baby shark — that’s easy, you know? But the toy. It’s his absolute favorite thing and it’s annoying as hell, because when you move your hand faster the song goes faster, and he walks around the house with it a lot, and I didn’t even _think_ about saying no when he asked to bring it for show and tell—and oh my god, I’m rambling again.”

“It’s fine, Rey,” Ben tells her, leaning back in his chair and crossing his ankles beneath the desk. 

“It’s not, I’m sure you don’t really want to be here, after hours with the mom of the kid who won’t stop annoying you.”

Ben rubs a hand across his chin, “I really — I don’t mind.”

Rey relaxes slightly in her seat and stares at him for a long moment. “Do you know Koo Koo Kanga Roo?” she asks making Ben laugh.

“Not personally, but I’ve been known to play a song or two in class,” Ben tells her, making her nod.

“I um, I’m sure ‘Everybody Poops’ isn’t school appropriate,” she says with a tiny wince and Ben chuckles once more, “but ‘Cat Party,’ is also a favorite, if you need a break from ‘Baby Shark.’ No promises, but it works for me, and the holiday break is coming up, I’m fairly certain there might be a shiny new distracting gift just waiting to relieve us all.” Ben smiles and Rey grins back, lifting a hand to her face and then dropping it back down into her lap. “He’s doing okay though? I know he’s a little shy, and the first few weeks were a little rough for us at home, so I was worried—”

“He’s great, Rey. I think a lot of families go through that, especially if it’s the first kid, it’s all new and different, but he’s a great kid, you’re doing great with him. Questionable music choices aside.”

“Hey!”

“I’m teasing,” he tells her, swallowing hard when she blushes after he winks at her.

“Mr. Solo—”

“Ben,” he interrupts, drawing a full smile from Rey.

“Ben, then,” she says, licking her lips and leaning towards him, and Ben has to fight not to look at the regulated thermostat because it suddenly feels like it might be broken. “Would you maybe like to get coffee sometime?”

“Yes!” He blurts the word louder than he’s expecting to and she blinks at him in surprise before smiling again. “Sorry, that was, yes. I would — I’m free now, actually. Would your sitter—”

“My best friend Rose is watching Danny tonight, and I can text her, but I can guarantee any response she sends back will be either a voice text of her screaming or a bunch of inappropriate emojis.” Ben laughs and Rey blanches. “Sorry, that was too much, wasn’t it? I don’t, uh, date, really, often, ever, but it’s you so I — you know what, I’m just going to stop talking.”

“No, don’t,” Ben begs, standing up and coming around the desk to her. “What about me?”

“I just think you’re really handsome, and god, my mouth will not stop moving.”

“Come on,” Ben says with a smile, holding out a hand for her, “there’s this really quaint coffee shop a few blocks over, I’d be honored to have the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met buy me a coffee there.”

Rey freezes, hand in his, and then pulls herself up, putting her right in his personal space. She reaches out and fiddles with his second button. “Would you?”

Ben nods, hesitantly shifting his hand to interlock their fingers before exhaling the words. “very much.”

They settle into a pair of large leather chairs while they wait for their order and when Rey’s phone pings she blanches, quickly apologizing and unlocking it. She turns down the sound, but Ben can still make out the sound of a woman, Rose, screaming and then there’s a long string of words he can’t make out but it makes Rey blush.

“So, you’ll be heading home then?” Ben teases and Rey rolls her eyes, standing when her name is called with their drinks. 

They talk until it’s dark outside and Maz shoos them out the door, already having completed her closing routine and wanting to give them space.

“This was nice,” Rey says, standing by her car, and Ben nods in agreement. “Would you—”

“Can I—” he starts to ask at the same time she does and they both fall silent. “You go,” Ben says and Rey nods.

“Would you like to do this again sometime?” she asks, voice small and Ben swallows, reaching for her hand. “Now you.”

“Can I take you to dinner? Whenever works for you.”

“I would love that.”

“Good,” he says, feeling triumphant.

“Good,” she repeats, gently squeezing his hand, pulling him just a little bit closer. “Mr. Solo,” she whispers, and Ben’s other hand falls to press against the window of her car, boxing her in. “I would very much like it if you kissed me right now.”

“Oh, would you Miss. Niima?”

She tilts her head back and grins, nose crinkling up just a little and it’s the sweetest thing Ben’s ever seen. “Just Rey,” she tells him as he leans closer.

“Just Rey,” He repeats.

She makes a happy noise in the back of her throat when their lips meet, and Ben smiles into the kiss, letting her drop his hand to wind her arms around him and pull him close. She tastes like coffee and feels like heaven and it takes everything in Ben to pull away, pressing her forehead to hers.

“Wow,” she breathes, and he chuckles, pulling her flush against his chest and rests his chin on the top of her head, humming in agreement. “I’m free Saturday, but bedtime is at 8:30.”

“I can work with that,” Ben tells her, releasing her so she can open her car door. “I’ll text you with details.”

“You can text me whenever you want, Ben,” she says, leaning over the top of her car door for one last kiss. “Just not during Baby Shark sing-a-longs,” she teases, ducking down into her car with a laugh.

“Good night, Rey,” he says, feeling lighter than he has in years and more than a little gobsmacked that his day ended this way.

“Night!” she says, just before closing her door. She gives a little wave and Ben watches her go before getting into his own car. 

Nearly 40 minutes later his phone vibrates, and he can’t help laughing when he looks at the picture. Looking lost, and somehow forlorn is the shark puppet, stuck in a corner and listing to one side. The caption reads ‘time out doo doo doo doo doo doo...at least until Danny wakes up 😘’


End file.
